Thomas & Friends: Railway Series Adaptations
by Hufflepuff Batboy
Summary: This is where my collection of Railway Series adaptations will go, all written in the style of The Adventure Begins. TODAY: An argument with Duck and Malcolm, an engine from the mainland, prompts Gordon to try and go to London to prove it's Kings Cross in "Gordon Goes Foreign"!
1. Edward, Gordon and Henry

**EDWARD, GORDON AND HENRY**

**Based upon the original story and "Edward's Day Out" by The Rev. W. Awdry**

Tidmouth sheds felt much bigger with just three engines in the shed. Edward, Gordon and James had more work to do on the mainline now that Henry had been bricked up in the tunnel at Ballahoo. James, the newest member of the fleet, was the railway's mixed-traffic engine, but found himself taking goods trains more often. This meant that Edward had to come out of the shunting yards to take local trains on the mainline.

"But I can take passenger trains just as well as you two can!" James protested.

"Not with wooden brakes, you can't," smirked Gordon. "At least Edward has brakes that can help him stop carefully."

"Now Gordon, don't be rude," said Edward. "James does his best and you know that."

"I suppose he's done better than Henry," grumbled Gordon. "Who would be scared of the rain? The rain, for goodness sake. It's just water."

"Maybe he's had a traumatic experience with water," James suggested.

"James!" scolded Edward.

"Regardless, his run into a tunnel has given us much more to do," muttered Gordon. Edward groaned; some engines had no sympathy to give out.

"Something wrong, Edward?" The blue engine glanced over to see the brown coaches Annie and Clarabel waiting in a siding.

"I was just thinking about Henry," Edward told the coaches. "Why would he go into a tunnel and be scared of the rain?"

"Maybe it's not the rain itself that scared Henry," Clarabel suggested.

"It isn't?" asked Edward.

"On the day Henry got bricked up," said Annie, "it wasn't just raining. Do you remember the thunder and lightning?"

"It was indeed scary," Edward confirmed.

"Maybe Henry was scared of the lightning in the thunderstorm," Clarabel put in.

"You may be right..." Edward said quietly. "Thanks for the insight, girls. I'd better get back to work." Just then, Sir Topham Hatt arrived to see the blue tender engine.

"Edward, I know you've been working very hard in the yard," he said, "but with Henry out of action, I need you to do some light trains on the mainline."

"Of course, sir," said Edward.

"Your first train is a passenger train up to Vicarstown," said Sir Topham Hatt. "Feel free to take Annie and Clarabel with you."

Edward gently buffered up to Annie and Clarabel and then brought them to the platform.

"We're glad you're taking us today, Edward," said Annie.

"James is always rough when he takes us out," added Clarabel. "He'd damage a coach if he's not careful."

"Once, he nearly pulled my coupling loose," said Annie. "Took ages for it to be refitted."

"I hope he gets better," sighed Edward. "Coaches need love and kindness, not rough treatment." The blue engine waited as the passengers boarded the two old coaches. Everyone then waited for the guard blow his whistle and wave his green flag, but neither happened.

"Where can the guard be?" asked Edward anxiously. His driver and fireman asked the stationmaster, who hadn't seen the guard. Then they asked the porter, who _had_ seen him - _last night_.

"It's been almost ten minutes," groaned the driver. "If the guard doesn't turn up by now..."

"He's coming!" cried a little boy from inside Annie. There the guard was, coming up to the station with his flags in one hand and a half-eaten sandwich in the other.

"Sorry I'm late!" he cried. "My wife misplaced the keys so I couldn't find them and I didn't have time to eat my lunch."

"Well, at least we can start," said Clarabel. "Do your best, Edward." Once the guard had blown his whistle and waved his flag, Edward, Annie and Clarabel finally departed.

* * *

Despite the slow start, Edward and the coaches had a lovely day.

"We're coming up to Ballahoo tunnel, girls," said Edward. There sat Henry, dirty and miserable. He did cheer up a little when Edward blew his whistle at him and said hello.

"At least one engine on this island is kind..." said Henry to himself. "I hope Sir Topham Hatt will forgive me and let me back into service again..."

"Poor Henry," sighed Clarabel as she, Annie and Edward went into the distance. "If only we could do something to help."

"I'm sure something will come up," said Annie with confidence. "Sir Topham Hatt will see sense."

"I hope you're right, Annie," said Edward. Henry was really the only engine on the North Western Railway that Edward felt comfortable talking to. Gordon and James often taunted him, and so did other engines that were once on trial before being sent away. Having Annie and Clarabel with him was a blessing to be sure, but they weren't truly his own coaches.

"Do you mind if I take you out again tomorrow, Annie and Clarabel?" asked Edward when they reached Vicarstown. "I feel more at ease with you both with me."

"Not at all, Edward," said Annie.

"Thanks, girls," smiled Edward.

* * *

That evening, Gordon, James and Edward were in the sheds again.

"_You_ were allowed to take my coaches?!" cried James in shock.

"You were taking a goods train," said Edward. "Plus, Sir Topham Hatt told me I was free to do so. And I'm taking them out again tomorrow."

"Ugh!" groaned James. "Why did he allow you to do that? Annie and Clarabel are my coaches!"

"They're _no one's_ coaches," insisted Edward, doing everything he could to keep his temper in check.

"I'm trying to get some sleep!" growled Gordon. "You two little engines stop your arguing."

"I'm not that little..." James muttered. Edward went silent, glancing out the shed's windows on the door.

_Oh, Henry,_ he thought sadly. _I wish you were here now..._

* * *

A few days later, Gordon was due to take the express out as per usual. Sir Topham Hatt often boarded this train so he could get to meetings with those at Vicarstown on the other end of the line.

"Nobody else is strong enough to take this train but me," Gordon said proudly to himself. "The express is the pride of the line."

"Come on, ol' boy," said his driver. "Let's get a good run."

"That we shall indeed, driver," the big blue engine grinned. Gordon started to puff along the line, feeling the wind on his funnel as he gathered speed.

* * *

At the tunnel where he was bricked up, Henry could hear Gordon's whistle in the distance. Every time the blue engine passed when pulling the express, he would whistle at Henry and tell the green engine that it served him right. But today, however, that was not going to be the case.

_CRACK! WHEESH!_

"What is going on?!" Gordon choked through a cloud of steam. To Henry's surprise, Gordon had come to a stop just before the tunnel, steam billowing all around.

"What's happened?" gasped Gordon. "Why am I feeling so weak?" His driver stopped the train to inspect Gordon.

"You've broken your safety valve," he explained. "There's no way you'd be able to take the train anymore."

"Ohh, the indignity!" groaned Gordon. "And we were going so nicely too...!" To add to Gordon's misery, Henry was laughing at the situation from where he stood. Gordon scowled at Henry, but he was too far away to care.

"We're going to be late," said Jeremiah Jobling crossly; he got out with other passengers following behind. "Thanks a lot for stopping in the middle of nowhere." Sir Topham Hatt had gotten out of the train to speak to Gordon.

"Didn't I tell you to get checked over at the Steamworks last week?" grunted the controller.

"Erm... I kind of forgot..." Gordon said quietly.

"Honestly, some engines..." grunted Sir Topham Hatt. "Send for another engine at once." The guard ran back to Crovan's Gate while Gordon sadly puffed onto a siding.

"This is not my day..." he muttered to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, down at Crovan's Gate, Edward had taken Dexter down there to get fixed up. His wheel had come loose.

"Thanks for the lift, Edward!" said Dexter. "I hope me repairs don't take too long!"

"Always happy to lend a buffer, Dexter," replied Edward. "You get better soon."

"Oh, I will!" said Dexter. "I always come back better than ever!" Edward started to head back when suddenly, Gordon's guard came up.

"What's going on?" asked Edward.

"Gordon's broken his safety valve and the express is delayed," the guard explained. "Are you doing anything else right now?"

"Well, I was going to go back to the yard and shunt trains, but none of them are too urgent," Edward admitted. "Hop in my cab; I'll see if I can get the express to Vicarstown." The guard didn't have much of a choice, as they were so low on engines at the moment, so he agreed.

* * *

When they got to the tunnel, Edward buffered up to the coaches. He then began pulling to try and get them to move, but he didn't get very far. The train was too heavy for him alone.

"I knew it was no good," said Gordon. "Edward can't push the train."

"What are we to do now?" groaned Sir Topham Hatt. "James is taking a goods train, I've had to send away those two engines back to the mainland..."

"I suppose the next thing you're going to do is let Henry try," Gordon said sarcastically.

"Not a bad idea," Sir Topham Hatt nodded. "Henry, if I let you out, will you promise not to stall in tunnels again?"

"I promise, sir," he assured. "I'll be right there." As his crew lit up his fire, Henry started to move out of the tunnel. He hadn't moved since he'd stopped in the tunnel, and so his joints were quite stiff.

"Ooh, that doesn't feel normal," Henry grunted.

"Have a run to ease your joints," called Sir Topham Hatt. "And find the turntable."

"Right, sir," said Henry, stretching his wheels for the first time in days.

"I'm so glad to have been let out again," said Henry. "But... oh, what if there's another storm?"

"Henry," said his driver, "it's natural to be afraid if you were caught in a storm. I even get scared at times too."

"You do?" asked Henry.

"I do," the driver nodded. "I remember one day when I was in school and playing with my friends, and then suddenly, a storm came out. We were all called inside and a lightning strike went off near the trees. I was frightened ever since."

"That's really scary," said Henry. "Sorry to hear that, driver."

"But talking about your fears with someone you trust does help," said the driver. "It works with me."

"You're right, driver," said Henry. "I'll talk with Edward about it when I get back to the express."

* * *

As soon as Henry was turned around, he went straight back to the express and was coupled on in front of Edward.

"Are you ready, Henry?" asked Edward.

"I sure am!" replied Henry. "How about you?"

"Yes, I'm good to go," Edward smiled. The guard's whistle blew and the two engines started away. It was hard going at first, but when they went through the other tunnel again, it became much easier.

"We're doing it, Edward," smiled Henry. "Well done."

"We sure are, Henry," replied Edward. "I'm glad to see you out and about again. But... why did you hide in the tunnel, exactly?"

"I..." Henry sighed. "Um... Edward, promise you won't tell this to Gordon and James?"

"I promise."

"I... suffered from steam problems that day," Henry confessed. "Being afraid of the rain was just a cover story so you wouldn't know the real reason why."

"Oh, Henry..." gasped Edward. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. We all have our off days."

"But... some people at the railway board want to send me away because of my shy steaming," said Henry. "I don't know what to do, Edward."

"Just do whatever you can," said Edward encouragingly. "So long as you work hard and do your best, the railway board can't fault you for it. And if they do, they are just rude for the sake of it."

"I... guess you're right," said Henry.

"And I've got your back, Henry," Edward comforted. "Remember that."

"Thanks, Edward," Henry said quietly. It felt good to know that he had at least _one_ engine on his side.

"You're almost to the station, you two!" called Sir Topham Hatt from one of the coaches as he stuck his head out of the window. But at this point, Edward and Henry were going really fast, and the wind didn't help.

"Aah!" cried Sir Topham as his hat flew off of his head. The hat landed in a field close to a goat munching on some grass nearby.

"Nooooo!" cried Sir Topham as he saw the goat begin to eat his hat.

"Well, that's one happy little goat," chuckled Henry. Edward couldn't hold back his laughter either.

"Look at him trotting around the field," giggled Edward. "He looks so proud of himself."

* * *

Henry and Edward finally pulled into Vicarstown station. They lost a bit of time, but the passengers were very grateful. Sir Topham Hatt came to speak to the two engines.

"Well done, both of you," smiled Sir Topham Hatt. "You both worked very well together."

"Thank you, sir," said Edward. "It's good to finally have Henry back in service."

"Indeed it is," said Sir Topham Hatt, turning to the dirty green engine. "Henry," he said, "you've done so well, you can have a new coat of paint."

"Oh, thank you, sir!" he cried happily.

"I'd ask if you'd like to be repainted blue," continued Sir Topham Hatt, "but I think that would just lead to confusion among the passengers. North Western green seems to fit you best, Henry."

"I have to agree, sir," chuckled Henry. "We've already got two blue tender engines as is."

"That's true," said Edward. "Oh, and speaking of blue engines, Gordon needs to get fixed up!"

* * *

Back at the tunnel, the men had begun to tear down the wall. Gordon sat on the siding feeling sorry for himself.

"I should have listened to Edward in the first place..." sighed Gordon. "It was probably karma for being so rude to Henry."

"I think it was," said his driver. "There could have been more to the situation than we know." Before Gordon could ask what his driver meant, they and the fireman heard a pair of familiar whistles.

"Hello, Gordon," came Henry's voice as he and Edward came through the tunnel. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, er... not too good," Gordon admitted. "The safety valve incident didn't go down well with the passengers."

"But Henry and I did manage to get them to the station," assured Edward.

"That's good to hear," said Gordon. "Er... and, it's good to see Henry out again."

"Thanks, Gordon," smiled Henry. "Come on, let's get you to the Steamworks."

* * *

The three engines all headed over to Crovan's Gate where Skarloey was just coming in with a goods train.

"Hello, everyone," said Skarloey. "Henry, welcome back."

"Thank you, Skarloey," said Henry. "How have you and Rheneas been?"

"Pretty good," replied Skarloey. "Workload is a bit difficult with just the two of us, but we're managing."

"We know the feeling," sympathized Edward.

"We've been struggling ever since Glynn was forced into withdrawal," Henry added.

"I still can't believe that happened," sighed Skarloey. "Glynn was designed by Sir Topham Hatt himself."

"It's a crime, erasing a part of our controller's history with the railway," agreed Gordon gravely.

"He was always so friendly," said Rheneas, having just come in with some workmen coming back from mending the line. "And had a good sense of humor."

"Indeed he did," agreed Henry. "He will be missed."

"But now the question remains," said Edward, "who will take his place as the North Western Railway's number one engine?"

"That's a good question, Edward," said Gordon.

"I guess we've got a mystery on our buffers," agreed Henry. "I wonder what James will think."

But that's a story you already know, don't you?

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

After having completed _The Adventure Continues_ and _The Adventure Carries On_, I figure I'd write up this little prequel to _The Adventure Begins_ by adapting the stories the actual special never did.

For my personal headcanon of the TV series, Thomas came to Sodor in the spring of 1979 (the year Awdry and Allcroft first met, leading to the series we know and love today), and so this takes place in the autumn of 1978. Edward being left behind in a shed took place long before the guard incident, with 98462 and 87546 (not mentioned by number) being among the engines sent away before Gordon, Henry and James showed up. And even though James claimed in _The Adventure Begins_ that Annie and Clarabel were his coaches, it could be that, like _Rock 'n' Roll_ stated, he was being boastful and not telling the truth.

Lastly, there's Henry's real reason for not wanting to come out of the tunnel; he's afraid the railway board may send him away, though it's also possible that there was a thunderstorm out when he was taking his train, explaining why he was scared of water in _The Adventure Begins_. But unlike said special, here, he's in his old shape (this also applies to the two fanmade sequels prior to his rebuild).

What will I be doing after this? Well, I have some ideas in mind regarding the Christopher Awdry stories, making an abridged season out of seasons 13-16, but rewritten completely, a prequel mini-series to The Adventure Begins focusing on Glynn as the main character, and maybe the occasional original story here and there. We'll see.


	2. Smoke and Fire

**SMOKE AND FIRE**

**Based upon "Smokescreen" and "Fire Escape" by Christopher Awdry**

**Set during series 17**

Connor and Caitlin are a pair of streamlined tender engines who take trains full of people from the mainland up to Ulfstead Castle. They are both built for speed and are quite proud of this, sometimes even challenging each other to races. While Caitlin had a tendency to get over-excited at times, Connor was usually calmer and more rational.

* * *

One afternoon, Connor had just pulled into Vicarstown station feeling stuffed up. Henry was waiting on another platform with a goods train for the mainland.

"Good afternoon, Connor," called Henry. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, yes, Henry," panted Connor. "It's this low-grade coal. My tubes are clogged up something awful and I'm having trouble breathing."

"I'm sorry to hear that," sympathized Henry. At that moment, Gordon was pulling into the station with the express.

"It's alright, Henry," sighed Connor. "Fireman says that we'll have to make do with it until a better batch comes in."

"A good sneeze would probably help," suggested Henry. "You'll feel much better then."

"What a preposterous suggestion!" said Gordon. Henry and Connor jumped with surprise; they hadn't noticed the big blue engine pull into the station.

"Sir Topham Hatt would never approve of engines blowing ash when there's people nearby," Gordon continued. "And besides, Henry, if I remember correctly, he didn't like you sneezing on those troublesome boys."

"But at least that kept them from causing more damage to railway property," Henry retorted. "Certainly better than deafening them with a never-ending whistle."

"It wasn't my fault, and you know that!" protested Gordon. "It was those same boys that knocked it loose!"

"Of course it was," smirked Henry.

Just then, Connor heard the sound of the guard's whistle.

"Well, I best be off then," he told Gordon and Henry. "See you later!" And with a blast of his whistle, Connor pulled out of the station, leaving the two big engines to continue arguing.

* * *

But as the journey went on, Connor was feeling more stuffed up than ever as he sped through Crovan's Gate. As he neared Kellsthorpe station, tears were slowly welling up in his eyes, and he and his crew knew there was no way to prevent the inevitable…

"Atish… atish… **ATISHOOOO!**"

A thick, black smokescreen shot out of the teal engine's funnel before settling all over Kellsthorpe station.

"Whew… that's much better," sighed Connor, and he carried onto Ulfstead Castle. Unluckily for him, the scene he had just sped through was not a pretty picture…

A party of wedding guests, all in their best clothes, were standing on the platform by the time Connor had sped through. Soot flew all over the guests, and waves to the streamlined engine had turned into shaking fists.

"You great, foolish engine!" the bride screamed furiously. "This was supposed to be my happy day, and now you've gone and ruined it with your smoke!"

"Alright, Camilla dear," the groom said. "It's probably not that bad-"

"Not that bad, Warwick?!" the bride shrieked to her new husband. "This dress belonged to my mother! I'm going to complain about this to the stationmaster!"

Many of the other guests had had the same idea as the bride, and the stationmaster was soon swamped with angry guests in her office.

* * *

Meanwhile, Connor had made it to Ulfstead Castle without further incident. Despite his good run, a message from Sir Topham Hatt was waiting for him.

"Sir Topham Hatt says you blew smoke all over a wedding party as you sped through Kellsthorpe station," the inspector said. "He's had to cancel a trip to the mainland to apologize to the guests and he'll have a stern word with you when he gets the chance."

"B-b-but I couldn't help it!" protested Connor. "It's this rotten coal I've had to take today! It's hardly my fault at all!"

"I can't help this situation either," said the inspector, "but that is what Sir Topham Hatt said, so there it is."

Connor groaned inwardly. Stephen was nearby on the other platform, and he felt sorry for Connor.

"It's alright, Connor lad," he said kindly. "It was an honest mistake; just a bit of bad timing is all."

"But now I'm in trouble with Sir Topham Hatt," said Connor. "I almost feel like I'll never be allowed to run on his railway again following this incident!"

"Never mind that," assured Stephen. "I'm sure he'll understand. After all, soot's good for the garden, so my driver says."

"But not wedding clothes," muttered Connor.

* * *

The return journey was mostly uneventful for Connor by the time he had reached Vicarstown again. He had taken extra care not to cause any more smokescreens, but he couldn't help but worry about what Sir Topham Hatt would say to him.

"Are you feeling alright, Connor?" called Caitlin from another platform.

"No," groaned Connor, and he told Caitlin about what had happened at Kellsthorpe.

"I don't think he'll send you away just for blowing a bit of smoke," said Caitlin. "Isn't that what steam engines do?"

"Well, yes," said Connor, "but that was a smokescreen we're talking about, and that was caused by bad coal. I even made the bride angry, from what I heard."

"It could've happened to anyone," said Caitlin as she departed. "I'm sure it'll all be fine in the end."

But it wasn't.

* * *

Sir Topham Hatt was standing on the platform at Kellsthorpe station. He had just apologized to the wedding guests for the incident and had promised them compensation for their spoiled clothes. He was waiting for another train when Caitlin sped through the station. But as she did so, a cloud of something had landed on Sir Topham and his top hat. He coughed loudly and then took off his hat, seeing that it was covered in ashes.

"CAITLIN!" he shouted, waving both his ruined hat and a fist at the fuchsia streamlined engine.

"What is it with streamlined engines causing trouble for me and my railway?" Sir Topham Hatt grumbled. "And that's the third hat this month that's been ruined!"

* * *

As Caitlin arrived at Ulfstead Castle, the same inspector who had delivered a message to Connor also had one for Caitlin, also from Sir Topham Hatt.

"Sir Topham Hatt," said the inspector, "says that you blew ashes on his top hat as you passed Kellsthorpe station."

"What?!" exclaimed Cialtin with horror and indignation. "I never did such a thing! I wasn't even blowing a smokescreen out of my funnel!"

"I'm afraid that is what he says," said the inspector. "You and Connor will now both get a talking to when he gets the chance."

Caitlin looked down sadly at her cowcatcher; now both she _and_ Connor were in trouble with Sir Topham Hatt for incidents that were beyond their control.

* * *

"He'll never let us back on his railway now," Caitlin said that evening at Vicarstown sheds.

"I still blame this on that rotten delivery of coal," said Connor. "Thankfully, a new batch will be coming in soon, but I doubt it'll be enough to get Sir Topham Hatt to change his mind."

"But maybe some good runs tomorrow will," suggested Caitlin.

* * *

The next day, however, irony would come and hit Caitlin hard as a last minute passenger at Vicarstown meant that she had missed her path at Crovan's Gate.

"Oh, bother," groaned Caitlin. "This just isn't mine and Connor's week, is it? So much for a fast service to Ulfstead Castle. Now what'll we do?"

Peter Sam was nearby on the narrow gauge line and felt sorry for Caitlin.

"Never you mind," he said kindly. "Good things do eventually come out of bad situations; you wait and see." Caitlin felt a little better, but she was still apprehensive when she was finally allowed to depart.

* * *

Caitlin hurried down the mainline to make up for lost time. Thankfully, it was a clear run for her after Crovan's Gate, and eventually, upon reaching Maron, she was switched off the mainline onto the extension to Ulfstead Castle. Caitlin was making good time and was halfway up the hill leading to the castle when it happened.

"Ouch!" she cried, feeling a clatter beneath her cab. "What's happened?" She then felt a blast of cold air in her middle, as if there was a gap between her boiler and cab, and felt her speed and steam pressure beginning to drop.

Caitlin's firewoman looked inside her engine's firebox and saw a gaping hole in the middle of her fire.

"The firebars have collapsed!" she exclaimed. "And now part of the fire's gone out! Of all places, it had to be on the hill!"

"Come on, come on," gasped Caitlin desperately, but her fire wasn't strong enough. Her crew needed to act fast.

"Can you find the biggest piece of coal you can?" asked the driver.

"Just found a pretty big one," said the firewoman. "Do you think it'll be good enough?"

"It should work," said the driver. "Now put it across the hole; that'll stop some of the coal dirt from getting in, and we'll hold steam better until we reach the station."

Caitlin's firewoman acted quickly, and almost at once, the streamlined engine felt better. The firewoman then built the fire gently around the edges. The driver then adjusted Caitlin's controls to make the best possible use of her steam.

"It's up to you now, girl," said the driver. "Try not to puff too hard or else you'll blow out what's left of your fire!"

With a short blast of her whistle, Caitlin slowly but cautiously puffed up the hill leading to Ulfstead Castle.

"I can do it, I can do it," panted Caitlin, taking care not to do so too hard. Her eyes were shut tightly as she struggled on upwards.

Sooner than she or her crew thought, Caitlin began to feel the slope flatten out. She opened an eye cautiously. Yes, she and her train had finally made it to the top of the hill, and from there on out, it was smooth sailing all the way to the platform where Stephen and Millie stood waiting.

"Are you alright there, Caitlin?" called Millie. "We could hear you puffing before you even got there!"

"Firebars… collapsed…" Caitlin gasped as she slowed to a stop. "Crew had to… improvise…"

"Well done, Caitlin," cheered her driver, mopping his brow. "That was a wonderful performance there, but now, you deserve a rest."

Caitlin was uncoupled from her coaches and was moved onto a nearby siding. Some of her passengers had come over to tell her how useful she had been.

"You've certainly got everyone here fired with enthusiasm, Caitlin!" remarked Stephen, and the others chuckled at his wit. "I've heard quite a few stories of crippled engines plowing on, but this is a whole other level of determination!"

* * *

Later that day, Connor had pulled up light engine to Ulfstead Castle, and inside his cab was Sir Topham Hatt.

_Oh dear,_ thought Caitlin. _What will he say now about the delays?_

But to her surprise, Sir Topham Hatt was smiling.

"I must say, Caitlin," he said, "that your performance today was splendid, despite a few, erm, delays. Nonetheless, I am pleased with your work."

"Thank you, sir," said Caitlin, but she was still worried. "Also, we're sorry for the trouble we caused yesterday…"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Caitin," assured Sir Topham Hatt. "It turned out that a steward was emptying an ashtray from a carriage window yesterday. I should be the one apologizing for assuming that you had spoiled my hat, so we'll say no more about that incident."

"Oh, thank you, sir," smiled Caitlin, now feeling much better.

"But… what about my incident with the wedding guests, sir?" asked Connor anxiously. "I didn't mean to ruin their clothes."

"I know that, Connor," said Sir Topham Hatt. "It was that bad shipment of coal on the mainland that led to your, er, smokescreen. It wasn't an intentional act of rudeness, and the guests have agreed to not press charges."

"Does that mean… we're not being sent away?" asked Connor hopefully.

"Oh, certainly not!" laughed Sir Topham Hatt. "We've recently established a service from the mainland to Ulfstead Castle, and I'd have to be foolish enough to cancel it altogether! And," he continued, "Caitlin shall soon be taken to the Steamworks where she will have new firebars fitted."

Both streamlined engines couldn't have felt happier with this news!

* * *

Caitlin was then taken to the Steamworks by James, and a few days later, she was soon back in service, taking passengers from the mainland to Ulfstead Castle and back again.

"Things couldn't be better," she said as she sped on down the mainline. It wasn't long before she saw a rake of teal coaches up ahead, and smirking to herself, Caitlin drew up alongside Connor.

"How about it, Connor?" she said. "First one to Vicarstown wins."

"You're on, Caitlin!" grinned Connor, and began to pick up speed, with Caitlin following suit. The two friends laughed as they raced all the way to Vicarstown, glad to be helping out on the North Western Railway.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

The last time I uploaded here was way back in November, and that was adapting the remaining two stories out of _The Three Railway Engines_ into a singular narrative. That's a long time to update this collection of stories. Anyway, this rewrite of two Christopher Awdry stories basically as an early-Brenner era vibe to it, such as Connor and Caitlin being established as running a service between Ulfstead Castle and the mainland. Not much else to comment on here; hopefully there will be more rewrites like that coming soon in the future.


	3. Gordon Goes Foreign

**GORDON GOES FOREIGN**

**Based upon the story by The Rev. W. Awdry**

Vicarstown is the big station on the eastern side of the North Western Railway. Every day, lots of passengers travel from the mainland to Sodor with some of their trains being pulled by foreign engines. These engines often stayed the night at the sheds of Vicarstown before they departed home the next morning.

One evening, Gordon had pulled into Vicarstown with his express. On another platform was one of the mainland engines; he had a similar shape to Henry, but he was a darker shade of green, had a different tender design, black wheels and smoke deflectors.

"I say there," Gordon called over to the other engine, hoping to make pleasantries with him, "lovely evening we're having tonight, isn't it?"

The other engine simply looked at Gordon and said nothing. The blue engine suspected that he was not one to make small talk with Sodor engines, and decided to wait until both were resting on some sidings.

* * *

Gordon finally got his chance to speak with the other engine again while the latter engine was cooling down for the evening.

"Hello there again," said Gordon cheerfully. "May I ask what your name is?"

"It's Malcolm," the other engine replied bluntly. "I take it that you're Gordon, the North Western Railway's main express engine?"

Gordon was surprised that Malcolm knew who he was.

"Heard all about your exploits on the railway," Malcolm explained before Gordon could ask. "Even got to take the queen to visit your railway."

"It was indeed an honor, thank you," smiled Gordon. "How far do you take your trains on the mainland?"

"Sometimes," said Malcolm, "we can go non-stop all the way from Barrow to London."

"I remember going to London when I was young and green," smiled Gordon. "The station was called Kings Cross; one of the finest stations in all of the mainland if you ask me…"

While the big engines were talking, Duck had taken some trucks to Vicarstown for another engine to take in the morning on their goods train to the mainland. As Duck was shunting the trucks into position, he heard Malcolm snort with indignation as Gordon began reminiscing.

"Kings Cross?!" the dark green engine snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, Gordon! You've clearly not been to the midland railway at any time in your life! A true midland engine knows that London's station is called Euston."

"Euston? Kings Cross?" retorted Duck, backing alongside the pair. "What rubbish! You're both wrong, because London is actually Paddington. I know because I worked there!"

"Ah yes," snorted Malcolm again. "Only an engine from that tin pot railway known as the Great Western would make such a claim!"

"Tin pot railway?!" shouted Duck indignantly. "You did not just go there…!"

The three engines' arguing could be heard for miles!

* * *

Gordon and Duck were still at each other's throats the next day at Knapford station over what the station at London was called.

"That midlander Malcolm ought to know by now that it's Kings Cross!" Gordon complained as he waited for the express to depart.

"_Both_ of you ought to know it's Paddington!" argued Duck. "_Paddington!_ Do you hear me?!"

"You've been like this since last night!" grumbled James, having had very little sleep last night due to the engines' arguing. He let out a yawn before continuing, "Kings Cross this, Paddington that! You make me exhausted! There is at least one thing you two can agree on."

"And what would that be, little James?" asked Gordon incredulously.

"London is not Euston!" chortled James. Thomas was chuckling as well as he pulled up alongside Gordon with Annie and Clarabel.

"James is right, you know," he said. "London station is actually called Victoria. I shunted trains there before I came to Sodor…"

"Don't you dare start!" Gordon and Duck shouted together.

"Well, that's _two_ things you both agree on," sighed James, rolling his eyes.

"Was I not allowed to have my own say on the matter?" asked Thomas.

"Certainly not, little Thomas," replied Gordon. "I know London is called Kings Cross, and if I have to go out of my way to prove it, then so be it!" He then puffed grandly away in a cloud of steam, leaving the three engines behind.

"I suppose I'd better be on my way then," said Duck, departing with his own train. "Though if he does get there and finds out it's Paddington," he said to himself with a slight chuckle, "I can't wait to see the look on his face if that's true!"

* * *

As he puffed along the mainline with the express, Gordon thought long and hard about how he could get to London.

"If I didn't have to stop at Vicarstown," he said to himself, "perhaps I could travel all the way to London without having to wait for another engine." Little did Gordon know was that it would be easier said than done.

* * *

As Vicarstown station grew closer, Gordon's driver prepared to slow down, but Gordon himself didn't respond to his driver's controls, and he overshot the platform, much to his crew's and the passengers' surprise!

"Stop, Gordon!" shouted his driver. "The signal is red!"

Luckily, he managed to apply the brakes just before Gordon could overshoot the signal.

"Oh, bother!" grumbled Gordon as he slowly backed onto the platform, his passengers grumbling about the mishap.

"That was very reckless of you, Gordon," scolded his driver. "Just be thankful another engine wasn't passing by with a train of their own! I don't know what's gotten into you, but this better not become a habit!"

* * *

But Gordon would not give up, no matter what he did. Another time, he tried starting before the coaches could be uncoupled, and even tried to follow another engine as they took the express to the mainland. It wasn't long before Sir Topham Hatt caught wind of Gordon's antics.

"You've been acting very peculiar lately, Gordon," he said firmly. "I don't know what it is, but I'm bringing this to a stop before someone gets severely hurt! In the meantime, James shall handle the express while you take on goods work with Henry for the time being."

Gordon was shocked, but James was pleased.

"Maybe I'll do such a splendid job with the express that Sir Topham Hatt will allow me to travel to London!" he teased. "Wouldn't that be a sight, Gordon?"

"Oh, be quiet, James!" snapped Gordon, backing into the sheds and going crossly to sleep.

* * *

For the next several days, James was enjoying his runs with the express. Whenever he saw Gordon taking a goods train, he couldn't resist rubbing it in his face.

"Express coming through!" James boasted as he sped past Gordon, who was waiting at a red signal.

"That's _my_ line!" snapped Gordon, but James was too far away to care. "Oh, the indignity," Gordon lamented. "I shall never get to London now…"

* * *

Later that same day, Gordon had brought in his goods train to Vicarstown. James had already arrived with the express and was waiting for another engine to take it on to the mainland so he could head home to Tidmouth.

But then everything seemed to happen at once - James was heading to refill on coal and water, but he was not paying attention as to where he was going. Malcolm was about to back down onto the express to take it to the mainland, but James was in his way! The signalman tried to set the points to prevent the engines from crashing into one another, but it was already too late. Before he knew it, Malcolm felt his tender hit a set of points that were against him, and he came off the rails, hitting the ballast with a loud crunch! James, meanwhile, had managed to stop safely and was surprised to see Malcolm off the rails and now sitting at an odd angle. He hadn't even seen the big green engine behind him!

"You foolish engine!" shouted Malcolm. "Were your crew this poorly trained in keeping a good look out?!"

"How is this _my_ fault?!" snapped James. "_You_ didn't warn me you were heading my way!" The two engines and their crews kept arguing over whose fault it was before the stationmaster came over to stop the noise, and promised that new arrangements would soon be made.

On his siding, Gordon had seen everything and couldn't help but chuckle at what had just happened. He stopped laughing when an inspector came up to him and his crew.

"Malcolm's come off the rails and he can't take the express to London," she said. "So therefore, Sir Topham Hatt's agreed to send Gordon to take the express there."

"How about that, Gordon?" smiled his driver. "We'll show them what a North Western engine can do, eh?"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" beamed Gordon. "Come on! London waits for no engine!" He quickly, but carefully, noting the accident Malcolm had gotten into, rolled out of his siding and then backed down onto the express.

"Well, little James," chuckled Gordon, "looks like I _will_ be heading to London after all, and maybe I'll see whether it really is Kings Cross, right, Malcolm?" Malcolm just seethed in silence, feeling as though Gordon was pouring salt by the truckload onto his already wounded pride.

It felt like ages to Gordon before he was finally allowed to depart for London. "Come on, come on!" he said to the coaches. "We're finally heading to London!" He couldn't wait to see what the big city was like…

* * *

When Gordon returned home the next day, he sat at Tidmouth sheds, with his expression a mixture of disappointment and anger. Thomas, James and Duck were also at the sheds. Sir Topham Hatt had spoken severely to James about his carelessness at Vicarstown and punished him with shunting duties for a week. He then turned to Gordon.

"I heard all about your arrival to London in the papers today, Gordon," said Sir Topham Hatt proudly. "You've certainly helped both our railway and the mainland railway out of a sticky situation there. Did you enjoy your trip to London?"

"Certainly not, sir!" Gordon said at last.

Sir Topham Hatt was taken aback by the big engine's response. "Why ever not, Gordon?"

"London's all wrong, sir!" cried Gordon. "It isn't Kings Cross, Paddington _or_ Euston! They've changed its name to St. Pancras!"

"You know, you forgot about Victoria, Gordon…"

"Be quiet, Thomas," muttered Gordon, puffing away to take the express, not wanting to hear anymore about station names.

"Beg pardon, sir," said Duck, "but myself and Gordon got into an argument with an engine from the mainland called Malcolm over what the station at London was called. Which one of us is correct, sir?"

"You all are, Duck!" laughed Sir Topham Hatt. "London is a big city with many railway stations. Since you all came from different railways, I can understand why there may have been some confusion amongst you all."

"Well then," chuckled Duck, "I suppose that clears that up."

"I hope so too," agreed James. "If I hear one more argument about what London is called, it'll be too soon!"

"But sir, shouldn't we tell Gordon about this?" asked Thomas.

"I'm sure he'll be over it soon," said Sir Topham Hatt. "It shouldn't really matter if the station is called Kings Cross, Paddington, Euston, Victoria or St. Pancras; they're all fine stations, but I think the best stations are those here on Sodor."

Thomas, James and Duck couldn't have agreed more. Eventually, Gordon did get over his disappointment about his trip to London and continued to take the express as usual. For a long time afterwards, there was no more talk about station names or going foreign.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

Another quick one from me, an adaptation of the story that almost ended up on TV but was cancelled due to being to expensive to film, _Gordon Goes Foreign_! It was originally going to be for series two, but I think it probably would've fit better in series three since they adapted _Double Header_ as _Time for Trouble_ for the same series. Yet despite that, I adapted the story as if it was written during series 17-21 and even fleshed out the roles of James, Duck and Malcolm, the (formerly) unnamed Big City Engine to add a bit more meat to the story. I even included Thomas trying to butt in on the argument and getting quickly silenced for his cheekiness. People often criticize when Thomas appears when he doesn't need to, but I think his small role fits both location-wise and when it comes to his cheeky personality, so I don't think it feels too out of place here. Plus, London Victoria was a station for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, where Thomas was built, which further solidifies his appearance; it even doubles as a bit of a call forward to _Thomas and the Royal Engine_, which referenced _Gordon Goes Foreign_ itself.


End file.
